_The Michelin-star effect: Top restaurants boost demand in this exclusive pocket of the UK

Known as the 'Waitrose effect', it's said that when a top end supermarket such as Waitrose moves in, house prices in the local area go up by a not-so-insignificant amount.

Clearly, it pays to have convenience - preferably backed by a premium name - on your doorstep if you want your home to go up in value. But what about the Michelin-star effect?

Logic would dictate that living in proximity to a world-class restaurant would correlate nicely with a boost in demand and value.

Perhaps the best example of luxury brands influencing property markets is in the 'Golden Triangle'- an area just outside of London stretching across North Surrey and East Berkshire that is fertile ground for top end eateries. 

A string of Michelin-starred restaurants - Sorrel in Dorking, The Tudor Room at Great Fosters in Egham, The Latymer at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, The Clock House in Ripley, The Fat Duck at Bray and The Waterside Inn and Coworth Park - cluster here and give culinary gravitas to an already exclusive pocket of the South East. 

Above: The Ivy in London's Covent Garden

It's an area that I know very well and it's my job to promote it when I travel across the globe meeting clients; but I find it's increasingly made a name for itself among the world's foodie plutocrats. A mention of The Fat Duck near Maidenhead often triggers a collective nod of approval or recognition, whether I'm in China or Kazakhstan. 

Buying into the quintessential 'Britishness' of the area, people move here for a variety of reasons – not least the excellent schooling for their children. The wonderful countryside, proximity to London and world famous sporting facilities such as horse racing at Ascot are also a huge draw. 

Used to international fine dining wherever they go, high-net-worth individuals with appetites for haute cuisine expect excellent restaurants and big name chefs such as Heston Blumenthal, Tom Kerridge and Michel Roux happily cater to demand.

Whether it's a coincidence or basic economics, setting up a high end restaurant in an area known for its world-class international schools, celebrities, business tycoons and oligarchs makes good business sense. The 'Golden Triangle's' eateries are buzzing with patrons eager to be seen in some of the UK's best fine dining establishments.

For those serious about buying property here, these places serve as a stamp of approval that the area, quite literally, caters to their needs and that they'll be rubbing shoulders with like-minded neighbours should they decide to take the plunge.

When on a viewing, I often drive clients through Cobham's pretty high street and watch as facial muscles relax when they see the signpost for 'The Ivy Brasserie'. A relatively new outpost of the world famous 'The Ivy' in London's Covent Garden - buyers take it as reassurance of the quality of the area they are buying in. 

Since The Ivy Brasserie's opening in Cobham in 2016, whether you go in for breakfast, lunch or dinner it is permanently buzzing with sound of many languages being spoken with one or two international business deals being made.

The Michelin-star effect? Much like the 'Waitrose-effect' (or even the ‘George Clooney-effect’ when he moved to Sonning in Berkshire), is definitely a ‘thing’ and I've witnessed it first-hand. Clients are often prepared to pay a premium to move into a property that's near a much talked about restaurant and it's a big selling point for the region.

With each Michelin star awarded in the area, dinners' are on the local estate agents. I can't say it doesn't help us raise the profile of some of the properties we market.

In my book, it's certainly no coincidence that our Virginia Water, Ascot and Cobham offices are some of the busiest in the region - and these are the ones with some of the best restaurants on their doorstep.

To find out more about the wider North Surrey or East Berkshire area contact Stuart Cole or search for exclusive properties for sale.